It’s hard not to fall for anything that contains juicy, bright, sweet oranges. This gorgeous bulbous fruit is indelible—and abundant in health & skincare benefits because of its high concentration of vitamin C. But beyond the orange are its beautiful white blossoms. These blooms produce an exquisite oil called neroli, which has sweet, earthy, floral aroma and is rich in regenerative elements that are incredible for vibrant skin.
Throughout history oranges and orange blossoms have held an allure. They’ve symbolized luxury and indulgence. Orange trees are native to parts of India, East Africa, and the Himalayas. In Ancient Egypt, neroli oil was used as a spiritual and physical healing natural ingredient. Other cultures used it to fight illness. Italian royalty laced their baths with neroli oil, while French royalty used it as a perfume.
Similar to rose oil, extracting neroli oil is a labor intensive and expensive process. It takes more than 1,000 orange blossoms to produce one pound of neroli oil. You can imagine how expansive the resources need to be in order to grow and collect all the blossoms. At Uma, we’ve mastered sustainable growing practices on the lands of our farm in India, ensuring high quality neroli from one source. After we cultivate the gorgeous blooms we extract the oil via steam distillation. This temperate and time sensitive process isn’t easy, but it ensures a higher quality product by using a much gentler mode of extraction.
You may wonder: Why do we go through this long process? And why are we so obsessed with neroli? It is because this gorgeous, antioxidant-rich oil is brimming with benefits for the skin. Whether your complexion is dull, dry, breakout-prone, or oily, neroli can have a huge positive impact. Neroli boosts luminosity to promote a natural, healthy glow. The ayurvedic oil aids in the natural regeneration process of the skin which leads to a more vibrant, youthful appearance. (This turnover also makes it an excellent choice to fight stretch marks and reduce scars.) It also helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles. And it acts an antiseptic, fighting bacteria that can cause breakouts and unsightly blemishes.
And let’s go back to the scent—that gorgeous, sweet, uplifting scent. Research has shown neroli to be have aromatherapy benefits. It naturally relieves stress and anxiety and calms heart palpitations, as well as insomnia and shock. Because essential oils often come out differently when extracted (that is why our oils’ shades can vary batch to batch) neroli oil can be anywhere between a rich dark brown to a pale yellow color.
We have a deep love and reverence for neroli at Uma, which is why we’re so proud to include this luxurious oil in several of our formulation including our Ultimate Brightening Face Oil; Beauty Boosting Day Face Oil; and Absolute Anti Aging Face Oil.
